A lot of consumers these days are searching for the cheapest price without even considering quality. Price definitely is an important factor; however, a good balance between the two should be considered.
A common myth is that when the quality of a company is better, the price is higher. This is more of an assumption than a fact. Truth is that there are many quality insurers offering excellent, competitive rates while still being admitted carriers (where policyholders are protected by a state’s guarantee fund) which most likely will lead to the deserved protection in case of an accident.
How does one determine quality?
The quality of a carrier can be determined a few ways. Most states have a Department of Insurance holding complaint records on file which can be publicly accessed. These records are a great indication of quality because of course, an insurer with many complaints will indicate poor customer service. Find out if a carrier is admitted by your state. This can give you a feeling of security because admitted carriers have financial backing in case of bankruptcy.
AM Best is a company issuing letter grades to carrier’s financial strength. Financial strength is a good indicator of quality since one is less likely to experience an under funded claims and service representation. Ask your friends if they’ve had any experience with a certain company. This perhaps is among the best ways of determining if one will be satisfied with an insurer’s services.
One can usually get a feel for customer service if they were to contact the service phone number and ask any kind of question. Notate the hold times and the assistance of the representative handling the call.
The internet is a useful tool, if you punch in a company’s name, you may find comments and feedback on their claims and services which can be useful to make a decision.
Of course, price is a factor to consider as well. The best way of finding a competitive rate is to compare rates from various carriers. This will give you an idea of what rates are reasonable and will point out those who are higher than others.
A useful tool for shopping around for low rates is provided by the free services of http://www.OnlineAutoInsurance.com. One can instantly compare auto insurance online instantly and easily by rate, quality and a few other factors such as brand. Only leading quality carriers are within their network so one does not have to worry about the “quality factor”, although one can check financial strength if they wish. You may even recognize the many brands available such as Progressive, AIG, Infinity and many more and even wish to purchase a policy online.
